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"The Restaurant" Reality Show Season 1

bpearis

By bpearis
in Food Media & Arts

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rich

rich

Posted
Posted
Priest with apron blessing all.

Does the local Bishop know about him?

Yes he does - and the apron was covering a multitude of sins.

I guess we should be grateful the producers didn't add altar boys to the scene - that could have become kinky in a hurry.

Before someone gets upset, yes, I'm Catholic so I can say that.

Rich Schulhoff

Opinions are like friends, everyone has some but what matters is how you respect them!

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ronnie_suburban

ronnie_suburban

Posted
Posted (edited)

Some financial details about Rocco and The Restaurant...not sure if this info has been previously cited on this thread. The story was sent to me by my friend Andrea...

=R=

Rocco'$ details

Edited by ronnie_suburban (log)

"Hey, hey, careful man! There's a beverage here!" --The Dude, The Big Lebowski

LTHForum.com -- The definitive Chicago-based culinary chat site

ronnie_suburban 'at' yahoo.com

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SobaAddict70

SobaAddict70

Posted
Posted

I think The Union Square Greenmarket would make a fine reality show. Imagine all of the following:

the political drama that gets thrown about as each vendor jockeys for space each market day

the clueless customers who persistently yell, scream and badger overworked, harried and underpaid staff for their undivided attention

people who have no sense of social mores and yet insist on being served

among other such scenarios....

not to mention a cast of thousands! For free! And cameos by famous chefs for the taking!

I don't think it'll fly though. heh

Soba

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bilrus

bilrus

Posted
Posted

I may be past the point of giving Rocco the benefit of the doubt that he was in this for the right reasons:

From the Yahoo article:

""I kind of put my energy out there and hope things work out," he said. "It's always great when people talk about you. Everyone loves accolades. Everyone loves to be loved." "

He might want to rethink that now, especially if he checked out this board.

Bill Russell

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Human Bean

Human Bean

Posted
Posted

Another tidbit from the NY Post/Yahoo article:

[...] signed deals for free loans of an SUV from Mitsubishi and a trendy Italian scooter from Vespa [...]

So not only was the Vespa just more product placement, it wasn't really even his to give to the disgruntled bartender.

Sheesh.

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tommy

tommy

Posted
Posted
Another tidbit from the NY Post/Yahoo article:

[...] signed deals for free loans of an SUV from Mitsubishi and a trendy Italian scooter from Vespa [...]

So not only was the Vespa just more product placement, it wasn't really even his to give to the disgruntled bartender.

Sheesh.

but what if the restaurant simply bought one? who cares if it was the one sitting out front or a new one.

tommy:eats.com
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bloviatrix

bloviatrix

Posted
Posted

I think this quote really says it all:

"This is all about brand Rocco,"

"Some people see a sheet of seaweed and want to be wrapped in it. I want to see it around a piece of fish."-- William Grimes

"People are bastard-coated bastards, with bastard filling." - Dr. Cox on Scrubs

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MatthewB

MatthewB

Posted
Posted (edited)
I thought Rocco looked genuinely peeved when Gideon was sent home the second time.  If Gideon really is Jeffrey Chodorow's nephew maybe Rocco resents having to hire the money-boss's relative.

As Gideon has already posted--and I, for one, believe him--he's not Chodorow's nephew.

Carry on.

Edited by MatthewB (log)
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Bux

Bux

Posted
Posted
I thought Rocco looked genuinely peeved when Gideon was sent home the second time.  If Gideon really is Jeffrey Chodorow's nephew maybe Rocco resents having to hire the money-boss's relative.

I believe it was already disclosed that Gideon was not related to Chodorow. Gideon is a distant cousin to one of Chowdorow's partners, but this was discovered after he was hired. It's apparently a distant relation and Gideon was unaware the guy was involved in the show, I mean restaurant, and the guy was unaware of Gideon.

Personally, I believe Rocco is following a script more often than he's running the restaurant.

If you haven't followed this link posted earlier by ronnie suburban, you should do so now. Rocco'$ details Restaurants are what used to be Rocco's business.

Robert Buxbaum

WorldTable

Recent WorldTable posts include: comments about reporting on Michelin stars in The NY Times, the NJ proposal to ban foie gras, Michael Ruhlman's comments in blogs about the NJ proposal and Bill Buford's New Yorker article on the Food Network.

My mailbox is full. You may contact me via worldtable.com.

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bloviatrix

bloviatrix

Posted
Posted (edited)

In regard to "brand Rocco," does anyone have the new issue of The New Yorker (the family issue)? Between pages 76 and 77 there's an ad insert for Ruffino and I swear, Rocco is in the ad. I handed the ad to my husband and said "what do you see?" and his response was "that's Rocco."

Is Ruffino another one of his sponsors? Or is it just another guy, with artfully mussed hair, that's his "double"? And if it is his "double," maybe that will be the twist NBC throws in for the final week - the guy walking around on the floor, flirting with all the women isn't Rocco, but his evil twin brother. :laugh:

Edited by bloviatrix (log)

"Some people see a sheet of seaweed and want to be wrapped in it. I want to see it around a piece of fish."-- William Grimes

"People are bastard-coated bastards, with bastard filling." - Dr. Cox on Scrubs

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zenial

zenial

Posted
Posted
In regard to "brand Rocco," does anyone have the new issue of The New Yorker (the family issue)?  Between pages 76 and 77 there's an ad insert for Ruffino and I swear, Rocco is in the ad.  I handed the ad to my husband and said "what do you see?" and his response was "that's Rocco."

Is Ruffino another one of his sponsors?  Or is it just another guy, with artfully mussed hair, that's his "double"?  And if it is his "double," maybe that will be the twist NBC throws in for the final week - the guy walking around on the floor, flirting with all the women isn't Rocco, but his evil twin brother. :laugh:

DUN DUN DAAAAAAAA

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madziast

madziast

Posted
Posted
Did the guests have to sign a waiver upon entering to allow their images to be used in a TV show?

No, the guests didn't have to sign anything. My brother lives in that building and throughout the filming they had a sign up that said "if you are reading this sign you have given your consent to be on TV".

Alcohol is a misunderstood vitamin.

P.G. Wodehouse

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madziast

madziast

Posted
Posted

""I kind of put my energy out there and hope things work out," he said. "It's always great when people talk about you. Everyone loves accolades. Everyone loves to be loved." "

He might want to rethink that now, especially if he checked out this board.

the ego doesn't concern itself with pesky little boards

Alcohol is a misunderstood vitamin.

P.G. Wodehouse

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tommy

tommy

Posted
Posted (edited)
but what if the restaurant simply bought one?  who cares if it was the one sitting out front or a new one.

rrrriiight

i don't understand. are you suggesting that rocco promised something and then didn't follow through?

besides, the article claims that vespa supplied "a trendy Italian scooter". i saw several lined up out front. and i've heard nothing that suggests that vespa took it or any back.

Edited by tommy (log)
tommy:eats.com
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Human Bean

Human Bean

Posted
Posted (edited)

Meta-comment:

Having only seen episodes 3 and 4, I've been wondering if maybe we're too harsh ("brutally honest" as a cast member said earlier) about this show. Maybe with the knowledge here about restaurants, both as customers and for some, as employees, we're judging it unfairly.

No.

It's not a documentary, it's a "Reality TV" show. Several producers and story editors have reviewed hundreds of hours of documentary footage, and sometimes re-created scenes to create a dramatic production that is only slighty related to reality as those of us non-TV people know it. There's a story arc, both within episodes, and throughout the whole series.

What if it were a "Reality TV" show about the opening of 'Rocco's Hardware Store,' where the people here might not have any special expertise about the operation of hardware stores?

While we might not know about the details about 8/32 screws, the product placement and dramatic manipulation would still most likely be immediately obvious.

It's crap. It's commercial TV; what did you expect?

My congratulations to those that can parlay their fifteen minutes of fame into something better. Even Rocco. My apologies to anyone that thinks that "Reality TV" has any relation at all to reality. I suppose that they are the people that will rush to the restaurant because it's been on TV.

Will -the restaurant- itself survive long past the TV show? I don't know, not being familiar with the NY area. Obviously they'll be some tourist business at least for awhile, but I suspect that the restaurant itself doesn't have sufficient merits to survive on it's own, unless it fills a particular niche. There seems to be plenty of Italian restaurants in the NYC metroplex, and this one will ultimately have to find it's place among them, if it actually has one. On the other hand, never underestimate the power of TeeVee.

It's a TV show, not reality. Vive le difference.

Edited by Human Bean (log)
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madziast

madziast

Posted
Posted
but what if the restaurant simply bought one?  who cares if it was the one sitting out front or a new one.

rrrriiight

i don't understand. are you suggesting that rocco promised something and then didn't follow through?

besides, the article claims that vespa supplied "a trendy Italian scooter". i saw several lined up out front. and i've heard nothing that suggests that vespa took it or any back.

no, i was expressing doubt that the restaurant BOUGHT one for an employee, it was part of the deal with the show, up to producers to use scooters as fit. mind you, giving her a vespa was brilliant product placement. not only that, it created conflict, which is what producers of shows like this look for. how many times was the word "vespa" uttered? how many shots of vespa for our viewing pleasure? he could have driven her, you know. or send her home to change on a subway, like the other guys.

Alcohol is a misunderstood vitamin.

P.G. Wodehouse

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tommy

tommy

Posted
Posted (edited)
no, i was expressing doubt that the restaurant BOUGHT one for an employee, it was part of the deal with the show, up to producers to use scooters as fit.

ah. but a vespa was theirs to give, which is what i was saying in my statement to human bean above.

Edited by tommy (log)
tommy:eats.com
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Jason Perlow

Jason Perlow

Posted
Posted

$25 for veal parmigiana is criminal. The most rip off place I've ever had it was Dominics in the Bronx, and I think they maybe charged $16.

Jason Perlow, Co-Founder eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters

Foodies who Review South Florida (Facebook) | offthebroiler.com - Food Blog (archived) | View my food photos on Instagram

Twittter: @jperlow | Mastodon @jperlow@journa.host

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fresco

fresco

Posted
Posted
From the 8/12/03 NY Daily News

Health Department Check

"Topping the findings of the July 29 inspection is "evidence of live flies" in the kitchen prep area at Rocco's, located at 12 E. 22nd St., records show.

The pretty-boy chef from Queens also was nailed for keeping metal spoons in a "container of greasy stagnant water" - in other words, a greasy spoon violation."

Do you think they staged these violations to make it seem more like "reality tv"? :shock:

Arthur Johnson, aka "fresco"
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